Calendar of Events

Mary Blair, American Museum of Natural History

Monday, December 2, 2013

Mary Blair, Ph.D., is Assistant Director for Research and Strategic Planning at the American Museum of Natural History’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) and an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability (SEES) Fellow.

The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) has engaged in scientific research to inform conservation in Vietnam since 1997, resulting in over 42 new species described. Most recently, CBC began a project to inform and improve the conservation management of slow lorises, which are small, nocturnal primates. The greatest threat to the survival of slow lorises is the illegal wildlife trade; they are in high demand across their range for traditional medicines, as pets, and for food. By studying populations found in protected areas across Vietnam and nearby wildlife markets, CBC scientists have been gathering the basic biological data that are necessary for conservation managers to more effectively protect these species. CBC is now embarking on a new dimension of this project in collaboration with Dr. Gautam Sethi at Bard, to integrate biological approaches with econometrics to better understand the nature of the wildlife trade in Vietnam and its impacts on slow loris populations. Multidisciplinary approaches such as these are increasingly necessary and appropriate to solve today’s complex conservation challenges.